These smart glasses are embracing one of the worst trends in technology

smart glasses They remain a niche category of wearable devices that most people are currently happy to view from a safe distance. It’s understandable that some people think they’re a little creepy, but even for those who find them intriguing as a concept, you’ll probably need a good reason to buy a pair. One company may have offered the opposite, as the new L’Atitude 52°N Berlin smart glasses only include their AI features for 12 months before a paid subscription kicks in if you want to keep them.

The Berlin glasses will go on sale on May 26 for $399 (via cabling)with photochromic lenses that cost extra $50. That would be great, but not only does the subscription start after a year, but L’Atitude 52°N has not yet said how much it will be. We just know that buyers who don’t pay after the first year will be limited to basic features like music playback and media capture.

If the company’s sales pitch for the device is correct, it’s not like you’re missing out on some extra benefits by not paying: AI is doing much of the heavy lifting. L’Atitude 52°N is positioning them as travel-friendly smart glasses, with features like an AI tour guide and live translation helping to justify the whole idea. It’s a little harder to sell that vision when the smart pieces come with a one-year timer attached.

There was a way to subvert this subscription fee, but it is no longer available. Kickstarter Backers They were promised free lifetime access to the AI, so they won’t face the additional charge in the future. That’s a nice reward for backing the project from the beginning, but whatever subscription price L’Atitude 52°N ultimately reaches, post-launch buyers may end up helping to subsidize that lifetime benefit.

The specifications of the Berlin glasses are reasonable. They have a 12MP camera, 32GB of storage, open speakers, and 1080p video recording. Those specs aren’t top-notch in the smart glasses category, but they’re not unreasonable for the retail price. However, until they at least know what the cost of AI will be in the long term, many potential buyers might be hesitant to hand over their money.